New Survival Knife From TOPS !

vector001 said:
just some facts from my experiences with this knife and others with its features.

the saw works well on wood. it surprised the hell out of me too. i am now a saw on the spine freak. TOPS' big saw teeth work nicely and are easy to clean bear fat and junk out of....


the length of the blade lets you rest the top on your knee, sandwiched under your forearm, for a steady spindle position actually. - there are other methods of making it work too.
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Thanks for the info! Have you actually handled this knife? How thick is it?

This one goes along with the TOPS Tom Brown tracker knives to me... a bit complicated, but can be really effective if you know how to use them. I'm more of a straight plain edge guy myself, but I'm sure there is a market for this knife, esp. if Mr. Hawke is the goods as his resume suggests. Best of luck to him! :thumbup:
 
I would have to shame my eyes out if I carried that in the woods. Maybe wallhanger, or zombie skull crusher but no way survival knife.
 
Id like to see all those tanto-like lines smoothed & rounded out & I dont like the skull-crusher pommel. Just Not my style, Im afraid.

(Maybe when I was 13 & still buying "Rambo" knives.)

I wonder when the hollow-handle version will be released?

Ive no doubt that this chap knows his stuff but that knife looks far too tacticool.
 
I just about lost it at "17 degree blade angle to maximize chopping action" not just because of how cheesy it sounds, but because at first I thought they were referring to the primary bevel grind angle, and sadly I'm not sure they're not.

I really don't get it. Every little feature he put on that trying to be multi purpose seems to defeat itself. He specifically makes and proudly points out "flat spot for batoning" than cripples its batoning ability with a "back-up blade" which would be damn near impossible to use because of the handle shape. The "flat hammer" with a sawback and "back-up blade". how are you suppose to hold it when "hammering"? wouldn't want to do it sheathed either. The firebow drill pivot is awkwardly placed at the back of the handle. The only way to get a good grip on it would result in a hole in your hand, courtesy the "point for making holes". It's got a huge unweidly shaped blade, but don't worry kids it also has a "finger grip to maximize muscle control"

Not sure who Mr Hawke's is, but I'm assuming he's famous for doing something, otherwise tops would/should have thrown this design out the door. Cheesy discovery channel ex specail ops guy that modulates a growling voice every time he's on camera to sound tough?

+2 on rather take a leatherman.
 
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I'd say that is a stylized version of a Spanish knife or a recurved bowie. Straight lines instead of curves.
 
I tip my hat to the design of that "thing", but I will pass and keep with my BHK Bushcrafter.
 
Another knife that tries to do much, and ends up not doing any one thing good. Except maybe weighing you down.

I like Mike Hawke too... Thought hed have a more simple approach to a survival knife.
 
When I used to see stuff like that my first suspicion would always have been that it was some cheap steel novelty thing banged out in China and pitched a kids that watch too much TV. How the worm turns. Looking east I can think of a number of cheap Asian knives that have been designed, and are so far ahead of this thing they'd need to climb down four rungs to piss on it if it was on fire.
 
I definitely tip my hat to Cpt. Hawke. The man knows his shit.

But I can't say that I'd buy that knife.

The angles would be easier to sharpen than if it were a recurve. But I'm not too fond of a knife with that many edges and that many gadgets.

I like the Anaconda or the Armageddon. Simple. Elegant. Purposeful.

Cpt. Hawke's knife just seems too busy with itself, like it has ADHD or something.

Either way, I hope it does well. Where I don't like it, somebody else may just love it and have to have it.
 
zombie_killer said:
lol TOPS love their gimmicky shit *looks at tom brown tracker and devils elbow etc*
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They have some gimicky stuff as that fits their market. They also have many more traditional blades. You need to have some companies willing to explore different styles and application specific blades, otherwise everything would look like a loveless drop point and we'd be done!

A few things I like about TOPs are 1) they put the designer front and centre of the model and give credit where credit is due (i.e. they don't steal designs like certain other companies), 2) they use great steels (1095, 440C) and never try to hype the steel beyond what it is (i.e. unlike certain companies), 3) they stick with quality handle materials such as micarta (i.e. not rubbery/plastic crap), 4) the owners are tight with Brian Jones (enough said), 5) they are always coming up with innovative designs while maintaining decent quality standards.

This only consistent legitimate critique I hear about TOPs is that their edges are too thick. This is part and parcel with application. Busse gets the same reputation, although Busse has been coming up with thinner models lately. The other knock they get is over charging for 1095 where among every other sub-forum aside from W&SS people seem to think that companies use 1095 because it is cheap. Oh well, let them think their truly expensive chip ridden ZDP-189 is superior, whatever floats their boat ;)

TOPS is continuously on the forefront of design innovation and releasing models and they pay real dividends to their designers. That comes at a cost and hence their price. Nothing wrong with that.

Anyhow, that was a rant but I hate to see a really good company always being put down like that.

As for this design. Well for my tastes, I'm like most people here and find it too busy. Too many specialized functions that may very well be tailored to the designer's uses but not a lot of it that I would use.

The more I ponder it, the more I like a small knife, larger knife combo and perhaps a little folding saw. Do I need them all in one package?
 
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